


The Color of a Heart

by SugaryMystery



Series: Ilhoric Village [1]
Category: Original Work, exophilia - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23776495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugaryMystery/pseuds/SugaryMystery
Summary: The village of Ilhoric is known for it's famous Crystal Courtship, where it is believed that everybody has a soulmate. But, what happens when someone chooses to hide instead?
Relationships: M. Orc x F. Human, Orc x Female Witch, Orc x Witch, monster x human - Relationship, orc x human - Relationship
Series: Ilhoric Village [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1712824
Comments: 5
Kudos: 15





	The Color of a Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! If you follow me on Tumblr you've probably already seen this one. Although back then it was once of my first works and, as a result, was very poorly written. So, I decided to rewrite it in hopes of doing a better job. As always, feedback is welcomed and appreciated, I would love to hear about ways in which I an improve <3 Once I finish re-writing all the chapter this would be posted on my Tumblr as usual, for now, I hope you enjoy it!

The village is busy and loud as usual; everyone is preparing their stands, decorations, and best attires for the upcoming Spring Festival. With the change of the seasons, flowers start to bloom, snow melts away, and the cycle of life begins again. As the wheel of the year moves once again everybody is excited and eager for this event which is celebrated in every corner of the kingdom, but for the simple people of Ilohric, it means so much more than just a change in the weather.

After the King was dethroned and his regiment of fear and bloodshed ended, leaving many villages empty and thousands of hungry mouths, we celebrate the coming of the new season and the end of that bloody mark in our history. A mark that we all bear to remember that it must never happen again. Our village was even smaller back then but had managed to help during the times of need; offering material and resources to the allies. Each and every village put its grain of salt to help during the Revolution, it didn’t matter what species we were; humans, fauns, rakshasi or lizardfolks, we were all fighting side to side as siblings in order to get back the freedom that was taken from us.

But none others were more impressive than the Orcs.

The Steel-Ax clan in the West, the Crimson Fang clan up in the North, and the Rising Moon clan up to the East. The three main strongholds in the kingdom made an alliance to destroy the attack the Capital directly, earning a name for themselves by destroying the royal army, and allowing refugees to stay safely in their holds. The cruel and barbaric misconception the race once held, vanished in the pass of those ten long years and were now one of the most respected tribes around this lands.

Our village is as common as you can imagine, except for an old tradition that forms part of each and every child. When a newborn is announced it is given to the child a necklace with a crystal harvest from these mountains, a token that they must keep hold to until the day they stop breathing. These little gems are like mirrors to our souls, morphing first during early adulthood by changed from regular crystals to specific gems, and finally achieving a sort of glimmer when the person meet who could be their soulmate.

This being the reason why we have become so popular since then. People all around the country come to see the now called ‘’Crystal Courtship’’, some just trying to understand it, others trying to try their luck after having failures in past relationships. Whatever is their reason, people always arrive.

The Orcs came one unadventurous evening and like before they were more than welcome to stay as long as needed. The Chief back in the day came to talk with the council in hopes to form an alliance. The council didn’t saw a problem with, however, they also came with another request. After the war, the Rising Moon clan had suffered a mayor lost in their forces and many of its people had either been lost in the battle or their homes were destroyed leaving them with no other choice but to leave the hold. The Chief, weighing his options and wanting to take advantage of the new light orcs were now seeing, he wanted to assure the crystal courtship were available for orcs as well and, if it worked, that the orcs and their mates would come living and working alongside in the hold.

The council was unsure, in one way they were reluctant to the idea to send their people to an unknown place and weren’t sure the people would be willing to, however, they knew the village could use their protection with rumors of part of the dead King’s council still alive. They weren’t sure what to do. So, they went to the Wise Woman looking for advice, as it was her mission to see the best outcome for the people. She saw them coming for her and told them she has already seen a vision in her sleep; a vision of abundance and prosperity for the children of Ilohric.

So, it was decided and rules were established between humans and orcs about the courtship. Seeing orcs in the streets became a common sight, and in the first few months many of the villagers have already moved with their loving partners to the hold, their families would often receive letters saying how caring and family-oriented the orcs were which only encouraged people even more. Years would pass and to this day the courtship still goes on, and during the Spring Festival, love seems to blossom like the wildflowers in the surrounding hills. 

* * *

Everybody is busy around this date; from the small bakery to the tailor shop, and especially the gardeners are running around making sure everything’s ready for the big day. But for Linna, being busy until late hours is more of a routine nowadays.

Her days started like usual; she would get up early and get ready as soon as the rooster would sing, after eating she would gather the finished products from the night before and packed them ready to be delivered, and by the time the sun has risen she would be opening the doors and placing the large sing reading; _‘’Magic, Spells and Potions’’_ outside of her humble little shop.

Linna took great pride on her skills as a witch, although she wasn’t part of a coven she had her mother during her early years to teach her everything she needed to know, leaving her with a legacy on her hands. From divination to potion-making, and spell casting, she knew a lot and decided she wanted to be of help for the people in the future. Gaia, the current Wise Woman, saw her potential and took her under her wing so she could eventually take her place. Life was pretty sweet for her and she made sure to work even harder to achieve what she wanted.

But, alas, she couldn’t help but feel a little threatened by the season. Sure, she knew by the time she achieves an elder age she would be blessing children and casting protection spells on crystals for newborn babies, more than that she already knew how to perform the Binding Ceremony which was the local way of marriage around. She knew love was natural and something of great beauty, people seem to glow, literally, when they fall in love with a person who they’re compatible with. But... it was still not an easy topic for her and the fear of finding her soulmate hunts her even to this day.

As she was preparing some cinnamon and clove tea for the morning she couldn’t help but hear the loud cheering from the street. Some casual ‘good job’ and applause came from the people which could only mean one thing; someone has found their soulmate even before the Festival. ‘’Lucky for them’’ she would murmur trying to be happy without turning her feelings sour. And, to her surprise the door of her shop opened, a short red-haired woman with a crystal necklace shining with a dim green light entered he shop without even bothering closing the door. Of course, she recognized her immediately and put the teapot aside.

‘’Lila! Is that-‘’ she points speechless to her necklace which was made of green aventurine but now shined like a huge diamond.

‘’Yes! It just happened a couple of hours ago and I’m so happy I can’t make it stop!’’ she said between happy giggles.

The two of them took a seat in the little table she kept on the back of the shop beside a huge cauldron, her friend was glad to have something warm to drink despite feeling on fire.

‘’So, how was it for you? Who was it? Is it local, is it one of the elf brothers? Don’t tell me it’s Nileim?!’’ she grimaced at the mention of that name but Lila just shook her head giggling. She had a dreamy look in her eyes and didn’t seem to be bothered by anything in the world.

‘’I met him while I was picking some flowers to help the girls at the shop, you know since my Dad insists on me doing something else than going to listen to poetry and stuff. Well, back to the tale; I was picking some marigolds to make a bouquet when I felt a rush in my chest as I saw a towering shadow blocking the light. And when I turned- well, it was such a rush but I can clearly remember the glimmering coming from my chest and both of our cheeks darkening. The people around us started cheering too and I was so out of words but then he took my hand and we walked around for hours I think’’

Linna smiled alongside her friend, she knew how hard it has been for her to find a suitable partner after all the relationship… _mishaps_ she has made, so she was glad and saw this as a chance for her to not give up on the idea of romance and true love.

‘’Oh, but- well, this is going to be a surprise for you but, it wasn’t one of the elf brothers’’ she admitted. ‘’It was an orc. His name is Koril and has a lighter tone of green, long red hair like mine, and the prettiest emerald eyes I’ve ever seen. He came with his gang which to take supplies before going back to their homes in the East hold, he was just passing by because he got a _feeling_ ’’ she chuckled. ''I‘m glad he did’’ 

Linna froze, never before she had thought Lila would be interested in orcs before. She knew her for being a social butterfly and a little lazy, what she liked to do most was to daydream and spend time with cute, soft boys like elves and tieflings. But Linna thought better for a moment, maybe this was a good chance for her and she was clearly excited, the happiness of the friend she has known since childhood meant the most to her, so she knew she had to support her. She grabbed her friend’s hand and smiled sweetly.

‘’You’re not mad? I mean, how many times have I come crying and whining for a boy or a girl? You’re probably just as tired as I am’’ Lila joked.

Linna shook her head. ‘’It’s not about me but you, do you think you could be happy together?’’

Lila went quiet for a short moment. ‘’I’m not sure. I never truly believed the whole courtship thing until it happened to me, even now I’m still unsure about it. But- I don’t know how to explain it but I have a feeling that, when we are close to one another, I feel like I can do so much! Is this what soulmates can do to you? I'm both confused and happy, it's actually a little scary’’ she admitted.

Linna smiled and pour her friend another cup of tea. ‘’Well, maybe it’s something good? Maybe you’ll get to brag about a big, strong man lifting you to his shoulders. And maybe, just maybe, I'll listen to you’’

The girls continue drinking her tea and doing small talk, as much as they were excited they also needed to discuss a few things about the main event for the festival, but before they could finish their third cup they heard a loud sound coming from the street quickly followed by a mighty roar that could make the walls shake.

They exit the shop and found a good amount of people crowded just in front of her shop, there was little they could see but somehow they managed to make their way up to the front to see what all the commotion was about. There were two groups arguing, on the right was a couple of villagers from which Linna recognized a few, mainly the baker who had his rolling pin in one hand ready to strike. On the other group in which were mostly orcs, aside from a minotaur they saw on the back, who were all trying to hold who she assumed was the leader of the gang.

The orc was the biggest she had ever seen. His skin was a dark emerald color with darker tattoos scattered all over his exposed chest as well as scars from presumably old battles. His hair was long and full of beads of all kinds, as well as a few animal bones and wood carved runes placed as decoration. One of his tusks, the left one, was cracked and under it was a deep scar that cup his lip and went all the way close to his neck. But his appearance was nothing compared at how intimidating his voice sounded; deep and grave almost always accompanied by a growl, he looked and sounded like a wild beast ready to bit his opponent's neck.

Lila, who placed herself behind her friend was taken hold of her arm, squeezing it slightly and hiding her face on her back. Ever since they were little she was a little bit of a chicken, but Linna saw something else in her eyes. It wasn’t fear that was reflected on them but a deep worry. Turning back to the agitated group of people she spotted an orc with long red hair tied into a ponytail in the group, he wasn't as tall as the other's and was rather lean in comparison. ‘’He must be Koril’’ Linna thought.

‘’Let go of me! This bastard stole me and I won’t let him get away with it!’’ the large orc screamed, finally pushing the others and stepping closer to the baker. ‘’Give me back what’s mine and I’ll spare you the pain!’’ he pointed a finger to him.

The baker, old and with a round barrel tummy only laughed out loud and pointed his rolling pin back at him clearly not scared by the massive angry orc in front of him. ‘’The only one who’s making a fool of himself is you, orc. How can you claim I have stolen your gems when clearly you’ve been the one who stole my entire wagon! Don’t make me laugh!’’

There were whispers in between the people in the crowd, most of them wouldn't doubt on agreeing with the baker as he was well known by the people around, and taking the side of the orc without much information would have been both inconvenient and unsure. The people were both agitated and scared, the alliance we had with the orcs was old but everybody knew a fight in plain sight would do great damage to it. Someone had to do something.

‘’The Wise Woman is on the nearby village on a gathering, she’s the only one who can put her foot down in front of orcs!’’ one upset woman whispered. And truth to be told, Gaia, despite being a regular human and pretty much older than everyone else, has no trouble using force if it's necessary for keeping the peace. The rumors about her lifting and throwing two men from the of a bar window aren't rumors at all, Linna was there when that happened. She wished to be half as strong as she is, but even in situations like this, she wasn’t sure which was the right choice to make.

Then, she saw it. A dim glimmer coming from the bushes just passing the infuriated men.

The orc took the ax he was carrying on his back and was already to strike forward, the baker did the same with his choice of weapon, not at all preoccupied with the sharp blade coming for him, so in a rush she didn’t think much and put herself in between the men, facing the orc with a cold glare and all the courage she had left in her body. Both of them stopped not wanting to hit her and lowered their weapons, however, the orc was glaring back at her with deep turquoise eyes that could cut through ice.

‘’What are you doing, little woman? This matter does not involve you!’’ he tried to look scarier but Linna wasn’t going to take any of that.

‘’As a matter of fact, it is. Perhaps instead of fighting with all these people around you could have noticed the trail marks leading towards the bushes’’ she pointed to the ground, and true to her words the trails were there and leading towards that deep part to the trees. One of the orcs in the group took the initiative and walked to investigate, after three minutes he appeared pulling what she assumed was the baker’s wagon. The people sighed in relief and the baker lifted his hands in joy. He took the initiative and started checking if everything was in order. ''This part of the ground is uneven, using a large rock isn't of much help to keep it in place so it's no wonder it ended up sliding forward'' she tried to explain to the orc. 

He was still looking down at her, not at all pleased with the discovery.

‘’Very well, but this still doesn’t explain where is my stuff!’’ he glared back at her but finally put his ax back to his back.

She didn’t blink, clearly unbothered by his reaction. Instead, she walked forward to the wagon and waited behind the baker. ‘’Huh? This isn’t mine’’ she heard him say and politely asked for the bag he was holding, just so she could put it in the orc’s hands. ‘’I get that this is what you’ve been looking for?’’

The orc didn’t say anything, just opened the bag to check if everything was in order just like the baker continued checking his cargo. It only took her a glimpse but she saw that the bag was full of colorful jewels, no wonder he was so desperate to recover them. Jewels, especially coming from our village can be used in various potions but also in the making of medicine, which makes them highly requested and very expensive. Maybe he was buying for the shaman in the hold?

The orc sighed and closed the bag once again. ‘’This still doesn’t explain why you find it in his wagon. Meaning that he most likely stole it!’’ the orc roared to the men who said their fair share of vulgarities to the other group. She sighed, already feeling tired by the argument.

‘’I have an idea; if I’m not wrong those horses are yours’’ she pointed to the massive stallions on the side. The orc nodded, still a little skeptical about all of this. ‘’This is a busy street and with many businesses and shops around there’s a lot of noise. The horses could have become nervous or anxious because of the loud noises, and I see that you keep your bags attached to its back. The could have easily fallen in the wagon before this end up rolling down to the trees’’

True, it was too much of a coincidence, and to be honest she didn’t know the baker very well to make accurate assumptions. All she knew was that he had an ill son of five and her wife had been taking jobs whenever she can find, all the more reason to steal jewels. But-

‘’Please’’ she said in a lower voice so the crow wouldn’t hear over the whispering. ‘’You have what you were looking for, and I apologize for the inconvenience, but can we please forget about this. I don’t want to see a conflict between the hold and the village. Don’t you want the same?’’

The crow was starting to panic again, but like most people, they were eager to see how this would end. If there was a fight, they wanted to see it first hand, and then run away for safety. In a small village like these, rumors are worth gold.

The orc sighed loudly and attached the bag to his belt. He turned to his group and quickly they started to pack their stuff on the stallion’s saddles. The crow sighed in relief and slowly started to dissipate, Linna sighed too and allowed herself to shiver a little. There was a knot in her stomach from holding the nervousness and she felt out of breath from holding it too long, she wasn’t used to all this diplomatic stuff but was glad everything went well without fighting. A small feeling of joy appeared on the back of her head, excited to tell Gaia how well she had done today and maybe hoping for a compliment or two once she got back.

Suddenly, a shadow covered her and she turned to meet the same large orc from before. Without words, he grabbed her left hand and placed a jewel in her rather small palm. She didn’t have the opportunity to say anything, not even a polite ''thank you'' before he was up in his horse, leaving without even waiting for his group to follow him. She took a better look at what he had given to her; a rough but beautiful turquoise stone, glimmering the more light it hit it. It was truly, a beautiful gift.

She didn’t want to think much of it, after all, she wasn’t very familiar with orcish culture but choose to believe it was some sort of thanks from him.

The baker called for her once all the other men had returned to either their shops or their houses. ‘’Hey, not bad for the successor of the Wise Woman!’’ he said with a wide smile but Linna didn’t share the gesture. ‘’Something wrong?’’ he asked in a curious tone.

She wanted to ask. It was, of course, her duty to know about the people, but she wasn’t sure her thoughts would be free of judgment if she were to know the truth. And what then? She would report him to the council? Gaia once warner her that life wasn't black and white, but instead a shade of greys. And at that moment she chose to keep quiet instead of finding the truth just so she could keep the peace. She just shook her head and offer him a soft smile thinking that, it may be the best to let things be. She would ask Gaia if her actions were for the best or worst later, right now she was just glad things had passed without worry.

‘’Well, if as thanks you can come over to the bakery anytime! I’ll have a couple of treats with your name on them’’ he said finally attaching the wagon to his horse and leaving to his home.

By her surprise, Lila hugged her from behind making her jump but giggled once she noticed it was her. She took her by the arm and pulled her towards the orc with red hair. ‘’Linna, I want you to meet Koril, he’s the one I’ve been talking to you about this morning’’ she said with a happy smile and a deep blush on her cheeks. Koril was blushing too and it matched almost perfectly his red ponytail but was smiling kindly and looking a little nervous too. Linna thought that it was funny that despite all his strength and might, orcs could blush and be nervous too.

‘’A pleasure’’ he said. His voice, unlike the tall one from before, was softer and sweeter. A huge contrast with his appearance but made him have a much friendlier appearance around him.

‘’A pleasure to meet you as well. Hope you take good care of my sister here’’ she gesture to Lila who was still holding her arm.

‘’Sisters?’’ he asked a little astonish and turned to look at Lila. ‘’Didn’t you tell me you were an only child?’’

The girls exchanged looks and giggled, making the huge green man more confused than ever.

‘’We aren’t related by blood, but we’ve known each other since we wore diapers. Our mothers were best friends and so we end up being closer like siblings’’ Linna explained. ‘’So please, make sure she smiles a lot. She means the world to me’’

‘’Aww. I love you too’’ Lila said before hugging her thigh. The orc couldn’t help but smile, somehow understanding that awkward but deep bond.

Eventually, he was called by the rest of the group and excuse himself, all the time the men were whistling and cheering at the lucky man of the day. The girls went back to the shop too and people continue getting ready for the Spring Festival.

* * *

He didn’t felt well. No, he felt horrible, to say the least. But Barik should be used to making mistakes by now, or at least he thought he should be.

First, he made a huge scene because he thought, no, he was _sure_ that man had stolen the jewels from him. He just knew it and couldn’t set it aside. If there was something he resented were thieves and liars, and that little man though he could pass him as a fool. Of course, he didn’t expect from his wagon to also roll down into the trees and he doubted he had planned that too. The bastard was lucky there were other people around to defend him as well.

Part of him was sure that the man had taken them because he was eyeing his horses the moment the group arrived to the village. He had seen him before, standing near the same place, but choose not to say anything without proof of his suspicions. Even though he had his jewels back he wanted to confront him, face to face to make things clear. But- The way the little woman was looking at him. How those big, dark eyes begged him to please set things aside for the sake of everyone. Well, he couldn’t let things got worse, couldn’t he?

He had seen her around the village before but never truly had caught his eye, although he rarely talks to many people once he makes his business there. He has seen her close to the old woman, or Gaia as she insisted he calls her. He often goes to see her whenever his group had to take difficult or risky jobs. Her predictions are never clear and needed a second interpretation but had never failed him; like the time when she told him to be careful with what cannot be seen, and one of them got lost in a sea of darkness for four days. Since then, he visits her in the village often but has been somehow cautious especially around this season.

He’s not worried about the courting at all, in fact, he has barely even thought about getting himself a proper mate. Being the second son of the Chief, he believed his other siblings would carry the task of giving his father grandchildren. He wasn’t sure having a family was something he was comfortable with, and right now he was much more invested going from town to town, getting into fights more often than necessary, and earning his own gold. Life was good as it was, why asking for more?

But even though nobody has called his attention before, he had to admit that he was left a little astonished by the little woman from before. Not only she was fearless enough to stand in front of him with his ax on hand, but she was also calm and collected when she managed the situation, prioritizing the safety of both parties. What he couldn’t forget were her eyes, those orbs full of determination and so dark that he could see his own reflection in them, there was something special about her but he just couldn’t be sure about what. The thought just wouldn’t left his head.

He felt a sharp pain hit his head, as sudden as a lightning bolt in the middle of the day. It wasn’t strong enough to make him lose his balance, but it left him feeling dizzy and nauseous. He didn’t remember eating something bad or drinking enough to make him want to throw up, he just came back home this morning and was sent to fetch some jewels from the village, nothing more in his schedule than that.

He sat down and rubbed his face as if trying to get the pain out of his head, which was of no use. But then he felt it. A soft and calming scent coming from his hand, it smelled like dry flowers and grounded cinnamon. Could it have anything to do with the headache? He didn’t remember being close to anything like that but-

The shop. He has seen that shop many times but never from the inside. He has been curious but he feels as if something about it screams that he stays as far away as possible, and today he saw the little woman come out of the same shop! Could it be that she was a witch? That thought alone changed his perspective around her change. 

Throughout history, Orcs and Witches have never get along well. Even though orcs are close to earth magic and healing they don’t trust those who call themselves witches, mainly because they see them as bystanders of tragedies more than victims; when the time came for them to be able to help in battles, they hid away in the shadows of the cursed forest in hopes they would never be found. _Cowards_ , that’s what they were. To Barik, witches were neither good nor bad but the resentment between them was clear from miles away. All his travels around the country had proven him right. Could it be possible that the little woman put a spell on him, or maybe curse him? Their interaction was brief and sudden, not at all planned. Or was it? There were too many coincidences in a day alone to not think of it as a possibility.

The more he thought about it the more sense everything got, like pieces falling together in a puzzle. Even though the little woman didn’t look aggressive at all that didn’t mean she wouldn’t put a spell on him, even if it was just to mess with him for a couple of hours. He even regretted giving her that jewels as thanks for all the trouble! But still, it was all speculation and he couldn’t afford to make another tantrum around people without consequences, he was going to fix this personally without a crowd around.

‘’Tomorrow’’ he thought to himself. ‘’I’ll go see her tomorrow and fix this before anything I might regret happens’’

And with that, he tried to sleep but the pain never got away from him. Instead, it started to morph into something else, like a string wrapped around his heart and squeezed tight to the point where it hurt him to the verge of tears. His pulse was never unease and the beating was steady, but his chest started to burn like molted iron and raging fire.


End file.
